'Ganga water was fit for bathing during Maha Kumbh': Centre cites new CPCB report in Parliament

New Delhi: The Union Environment Ministry on Monday informed the Parliament that “median value” of all water parameters during the Maha Kumbh were “within the permissible limits for bathing water”.

The clarifications are based on a new Central Pollution Control Board report that came days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath slammed the opposition for spreading ‘misinformation’ on Maha Kumbh water being unfit for bathing,

The ministry quoted the new report that cited “median value” of all the parameters over a period of 40 days (Jan 12-Feb 22) rather than flagging alarming data from individual days, as was done in the previous report, which triggered a controversy.

In its Feb 28 report, uploaded on the National Green Tribunal’s website on March 7, the apex pollution regulator said earlier data represented a “snapshot of water quality at a specific location” and “not necessarily reflecting the overall water quality throughout the river stretch.”

In response to a question from Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria and Congress MP K Sudhakaran, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said according to the new CPCB report, the median values of pH (acid-base determinant), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and faecal coliform levels at all monitored locations were within the permissible limits for bathing.

In its new report, CPCB said an expert committee examined the issue of "variability in data" that may vary significantly depending upon factors such as upstream anthropogenic activities, rate of flow, depth of sampling, time of sampling, river current and mixing of currents, sampling location and such other multiple factors".

"As a result, these values reflect water quality parameters at the exact time and place from where these water samples were collected, and may not fully represent the overall characteristics of the river, therefore, not necessarily reflecting the overall river water quality throughout the river stretch," it said.

Congress MP Sudhakaran said the government must stop hiding behind manipulated data and take accountability for this serious public health and environmental crisis.

“The data clearly shows that faecal coliform levels in the Ganga during the Maha Kumbh were dangerously high. This is not just an environmental failure but a blatant disregard for public health and safety at one of the holiest festivals in India. Millions of pilgrims were exposed to health risks because of the Government’s negligence. The Government must come clean and apologise to people for misleading them and putting their health in danger,” he said.